On May 27, Tilleke & Gibbins hosted a webinar titled “Madrid Protocol – Issues and Challenges in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam,” to provide global brand owners an overview of the key requirements and challenges of using the Madrid Protocol system for trademark applications in Southeast Asia. During the session, members of the firm’s regional intellectual property practice—Linh Thi Mai Nguyen, Michelle Ray-Jones, Rina Sinaga, Sokmean Chea, and Somboon Earterasarun—discussed local complexities that affect applications through the international trademark system, including: substantive examination procedures in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam; common Madrid Protocol application issues in each respective jurisdiction; and core differences between national and international trademark protection around Southeast Asia. As global brand owners confront a high rate of trademark application refusals in Southeast Asia, the speakers also offered practical techniques that Madrid applicants can implement to minimize this risk in their international applications. The webinar is now available to watch online, free of charge, below.  

On May 25, Tilleke & Gibbins collaborated with DLA Piper and the Australian Chambers of Commerce in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar in hosting a webinar to address key anti-corruption, compliance, and internal investigations concerns of foreign companies and investors with business interests in Southeast Asia. Jointly presented by Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ office in Laos; Jay Cohen, partner and director of the firm’s Cambodia office; Michael Ramirez, consultant in Tilleke & Gibbins’ regional compliance and investigations practice, Ross Taylor, counsel in the firm’s Myanmar practice, and Maurice Burke of DLA Piper in Australia, the webinar touched on unique anti-corruption and compliance issues faced by companies in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and across Southeast Asia. Among other things, this included in-depth discussions on the following topics: Key business and legal considerations for Australian companies operating in Southeast Asia Anti-corruption regulations in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar Practical steps for conducting internal investigations in each respective jurisdiction The webinar recording is available below.  

On March 30, Dino Santaniello, head of Tilleke & Gibbins’ Laos office; Jay Cohen, partner and director of the firm’s Cambodia office; Ross Taylor, counsel in the firm’s Myanmar office; and Sochanmalisphoung Vannavuth, an associate in the Cambodia office, delivered a webinar explaining data compliance obligations in their respective countries. The webinar, which was organized in conjunction with the Australian Chambers of Commerce in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, aimed to give business operators in these jurisdictions a clear understanding of their compliance duties relating to personal data. In this webinar, each speaker addressed the following topics: Regulations and legal provisions that affect the handling of personal data in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar; Definitions of personal data and identification of relevant parties; Legal requirements for and limitations on the collection and processing of personal data; Duties imposed upon data controllers; and Penalties for breaching local data protection laws. Full video recordings of each section of the webinar are available (by country) below. Cambodia   Laos   Myanmar